Ribbon-reverse mechanism for type-writers and the like.



'Unirnn srATns rarnirrl OFFICE.

HUBERT HOPKINS, OF MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR '10 MOON-HOPKINS BILLING MACHINE COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI.

YBIBBVOIT-REVERSE MECHANISIYI FOR TYPE-WRITERS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

i Application led December 13, 1910. Serial No. 537,091.

To all 'wh-om tmoy conc-ern.'

Be it known that I, HUBERT HOPKINS, a

citizen of the United `States, residing atl Figurel is 'a front elevational VieW,.

partly in section, of my improved ribbon reverse mechanism; Fig. 2 is ay detail View showingr a tumbling pan-'1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. l; Fig. 4l is a sectional. yicw on line -t il, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a side elevational View sl'iowing the actuating pawl.

This invention relates to a ribbon reverse mechanism for tiypeivriting machines,calouL lating machines, and devices of similar character Where the type make a printing i1n pression on paper usually carried by a platen through an inking ribbon by virtue of an .impactingl bloiv thercagainst.

My present invention consist-s in means whereby a master wheel constantly driven in one direction, step by step, has conjoined to it an arin carrying double pawl which cooperates with ratchets mounted on independent shafts geared to drive the ribbon spools in opposite directions whereby, when one ot said ratchet wheels is driven, one spool will wind up the ribbon, tension upon the ribbon causing the pawl to engage the other ratchet- Wheel and operate 'the other spool to wind the ribbon thereon. Thetension on the ribbon may be occasioned by the Aribbon being completely unwound from one spool to which it is connected, or there may be other causes, such as a twist in the ribbon' which prevents it from passing through the guides which are usually provided therefor.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine, and 2 and 3 are spool-siniport-- ing spindles or shafts carrying the ribbon winding spools 2a and 3, respectively.

4' is the ribbon. The lower ends ot the shafts 2 and 3 carry unter-geant` 5 and 6, with which .mesh miter-pinions 7 and 8 re speetively, said pinions bein mounted upon alined Ashafts 9 and 10. lhe shaft 9 is preferably mounted in an elongated bearing' 11, so as to give it ample support, its'inner end carrying a ratchet .wheel 12 Whose hub portion extends therebeyond, as shown in Fig. l, so as to p rovidea bearing for the` inner end of shaft 10 which is supported thereby. i

1.3 is a companion ratchet wheel arranged adjacent the ratchet Wheel 12 and .having its ratchet teeth extending in the same direction as the Wheel 12. This ratchetl 13 is preferably provided with a hub port-ion which is pinned to the shaft l0, which hub portion forms a bearing for a driving ratchet lll; but it is obvious that the Wheel 1.3 can be mounted directly upon the shaft 10 and the ratcheti4 loosely mounted on said shaft. Ratchet 1i is preferably upon a sleeve 15 wnicli,cari'ies an arm 16, the outer. end of which arm is slotted to receive two' tumbling pawls. 17 and 1S. These pawls are in the form ot diamondfshaped blocks, as shown inFig. Q, and areconnected together so as to rotate in the slot in the varm it, said paivls being held against the ratchets 1;?. and 13 by means of a spring- 19.

20 is a vibrating arm having a driving pawl .21 held by a spring` 29. against the ratchet 14e whereby, when said arm Q0 vibrates, the ratchet le is rotated step by step and aivvays in theA same direction.

Q3 is a restraining pawl in engagement with the ratchet 14- to pre-rentbackward rotation of the same. The bar 2() is operated trom some moving part oi the machine, such as the 'spacing mechanism, in the case ot' a typewriting' 1nachineor from vthe Operating handle, in the case of a calculating machine, said bar being mounted yto vibrate and having proper connection tor its operation, in any wel] known manner. `The restraining paivl 23 is mounted upon an appropriate support, preferably a part of the trame ot' the machine not shown.

In operation, the ratchet 14 is rotated step by step by its pawl 21, and causes the arln 1G to revolve step by step and always in the san-1e direction. WYhenthe paufl 18 is in the position shoivn in Figs. 2, 3 and i, the step, by step movement of its supporting arm 1 6: will cause it to carry the ratchet 13 with it.

The ratchet 13 drives the shaft 10, and

over the teeth ot its ratchet l2 having engagement therewith. When the ribbon becomes exhausted on spool 22,01', for any other reason, a tension is placed on the ribbon, which tension tends to`bring the wheel 13 to a position of rest, the constant onward step by step feed of the arm 16 will cause the engaging inner end of pawl 1S to 'turn upon the ratchet wheel 13 as a fulcrum. The spring '19 will permit the outward movement of paw] 1S to accommodate this rotation or tumbling ot' the pawl, and as soon as pawl 18 is rotated so that the previously engaging point thereof rides over the teeth of ratchet 13, pawl 17 will be brought into position with its major axis .substantially radial to the ratchet wheel 12,

which position pawl 17 will engage the teeth of ratchet wheel 12 and the continued step by step movement ot' the arm 16 will now drive said ratchet wheel l2. As the wheel 12 is pinned to shaft 5. the spool 2a wiil now be positively driven. but inI the opposite direction, so as to wind the ribbon thereon. Spool 3 will now be tree to pay out its ribbon, and will lcontinue so tol do until tension is placed on the ribbon so as to cause the pawls 17 and;18 to be tumbled and etiect a disengagement between pawl 17v and its wheel 12, and a rengagement between pawl 1S and its wheel 13. The opposite drive of the spools 2 and 3 is accomplished in the Asimplest way, as shown in the drawings, to wit, locating the driving pinions on opposite sides of their cooperating miter gears. r

l claim:

1. In a ribbon-reverse mechanism the combination ot two spools, meansv for driving them in opposite directions, said means including two ratchet wheels, ,conjoint pawls for coperatingwith said ratchet wheels,

' means for imparting to said pawls a stepby-step movement about said wheels, and means whereby, when tension is placed. on the ribbon, said pawls ,are automatically shifted from one ratchet to the other.

2, In a ribl'ion-rcrerse mechanism the ombination of two ribbon spools, means for 3. In a ribbon-reverse mechanism the combination of spool-driving mechanism including two ratchets arranged side by side,.

a pair of tumbling pawls for alternately cooperating With said ratchets, and means for driving said pawls step by step, in one direction about the periphery of the ratchets.

4. In a ribbon-reverse mechanism the combination of Spool-driving mechanism including two ratchets arranged side by side, independent shafts operated by said ratchets, a 'pair of tumbling pawls for alternately coperating with said ratchets, means for driving said pawls step by step, and means for holding said pawls yieldingly in coperative relation to said ratchets.

5. In .a ribbon-reverse mechanism the combination of a master wheel, a slotted arm carried thereby, a pair of tumbling pawls rotatively 'mounted in the slot of-said arm, a spring connected therewith for holding said pawls in operative position, a pair of ratchets with which said pawls coperate, and spools driven by said ratchets.

6.1In a ribbon-reverse mechanism they ,combination of a pair of ratchets arranged side by side, two alined shafts on which said ratchets are tiXedly mounted, a master driving-wheel loosely mounted on one of said shafts7 an arm carried by said wheel, and pawls carried by said arm for alternately engaging said ratchets when tension is 'placed on the ribbon to reverse the feed ot the ribbon.

In testimony whereof I hereunto athx my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses,

.this 29th day of November, 1910.

HUBERT HOPKINS, l

IVitnesses P. Seurin LANQHE. L. CROWLEY. 

